Whole Foods Market
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In case you haven't heard: As of next June, Whole Foods Market will require all health and beauty products making organic claims to be certified according to USDA's organic standards or by NSF International. This is big news because right now, the term "organic" means diddly when you see it on a bottle of shampoo or tube of lip gloss. We caught up with Jeremiah McElwee, Senior Whole Body Coordinator for Whole Foods Market, to get the back story on the label lingo change.
PG: What inspired Whole Foods to require beauty products making organic claims to be certified by USDA or NSF International?
JM: Whole Foods Market created our organic labeling guidelines to support the integrity of the term “organic” by giving it a strong meaning and to ensure that products making “organic” claims contain substantial amounts of organically grown plant-based ingredients. We believe that the meaning of the word “organic” shouldn’t change from one department to another. We realize that there has long been confusion in this area of the natural products universe and to us these guidelines are the best way to alleviate that.
PG: What kind of response are you getting from your suppliers? Are people nervous about having to change their labeling?
JM: We have received a lot of support from suppliers - even those who are being required to change their labels, reformulate their products and take other measures to comply with our guidelines. Most suppliers have remarked that these guideline will move the organic body care industry in a more positive direction.
PG: What is Whole Foods' take on the new Safe Cosmetics Act? Would it help bolster your efforts to clarify personal care product labeling? Would it change the way you do business in other ways?
JM: What we can tell you right now is that in the absence of legislation people can already find safer choices at Whole Foods Market. We offer only the finest natural skincare, hair care and cosmetics available – all made of the highest quality ingredients and free of harsh chemicals and unnecessary additives and fillers. To take our standards one step further, in March of 2008 we launched a set of even stricter Premium Body Care® standards.
When we created our Premium Body Care distinction, our primary goal was to address the growing consumer interest and confusion about what is natural and safe for personal care products. These standards help define what “natural” really means in body care products. Products with the Premium Body Care label meet the strictest standards for quality sourcing, environmental impact, results and safety.
Although our Premium Body Care standards were announced more than two years ago, our work is not done. We have identified more than 300 unacceptable ingredients for Premium Body Care and more than 2,500 products have been approved for meeting the Premium Body Care standards, more than double the 1,200 products that we started with when the Premium standards were launched. As new information and ingredients become available, we will adjust our Premium standards and raise the bar even further, thereby improving the quality of products available to consumers.
PG: So in the absence of stricter regulation, what's your advice for consumers who are concerned about toxins in their beauty products?
JM: At Whole Foods Market, we believe that what goes on our bodies is as important as what goes on our plates, but it can be very confusing for consumers because the beauty industry is essentially unregulated. The best advice is that simpler is better. Choose products that have fewer ingredients, avoid synthetic fragrances and use fewer products overall.
Again, Whole Foods Market offers natural skincare, hair care and cosmetics made of the highest quality ingredients and free of harsh chemicals and unnecessary additives and fillers. We encourage shoppers to look for the Premium Body Care label which indicates the product has met our strictest standards. In addition, as of June 1, 2011, all organic personal care products sold in our U.S. stores will have to be certified organic, so shoppers can have confidence in their organic personal body care purchases as well. Even though we have done most of the heavy lifting for our customers with the Premium Body Care program, it is always a good idea to be an avid label reader and research ingredients for yourself! Knowledge is power.
